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John F. Weaver, 33

College/post-grad degrees: I received my undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and my J.D. from Boston College Law School.

Current job: I’m an attorney at McLane, Graf, Raulerson, and Middleton, P.A., working out of the firm’s Portsmouth and Manchester offices. This school year, I have also been an adjunct professor of sport law at Southern New Hampshire University.

Volunteer activities: I am on the boards of Pro Portsmouth, Inc. and the Portsmouth Public Library board of trustees. I chair the New Hampshire Bar Association Real Property Section and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee. I volunteer with the N.H. Bar Association’s Law Related Education programs, judging student civics competitions and speaking at high schools. As an alumni interviewer for Georgetown, I also meet with New Hampshire high school seniors who have applied to the university. I serve as a eucharistic minister at Corpus Christi Parish in Portsmouth.

PORTSMOUTH - Attorney John Weaver knew he wanted to return to New Hampshire when he graduated from Boston College Law School in 2008.

A graduate of Merrimack High School, Weaver spent time traveling after earning his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, but his heart was in his home state.

Immediately upon earning his law degree, he gained a position with McLane, Graf, Raulerson, and Middleton, P.A., working out of their Manchester and Portsmouth offices.

His practice is varied, Weaver said, covering everything from sports law to real estate law and telecommunications.

In recent years, Weaver developed an interest in artificial intelligence and the liabilities associated with technologies like autonomous cars or Apple's Siri system.

Weaver said the premise underlying most laws is based on the idea that only people make decisions, and therefore only people can be held liable for problems.

But if two autonomous cars get into an accident, who is responsible? Or, if a computer program creates a piece of music, who owns the rights to it?

Weaver explored some of the legal issues introduced by artificial intelligence in a March article of the New Hampshire Bar Journal and is currently writing a book on the subject.

"It occurred to me . that this is going to be a huge commercial area and probably a huge legal area and nobody is there right now," Weaver said.

Weaver writes chapters early in the morning and late at night after his wife, Alicia, and two-year-old daughter, Ella, are long asleep.

When not busy with law, Weaver stays involved with the community of Portsmouth, the city he has called home since 2008.

He has been a board member of Pro Portsmouth, Inc., the organization behind Market Square Day, First Night Portsmouth, Children's Day and other citywide events, since 2009 and also serves on the Portsmouth Public Library board of trustees.

In addition, he chairs the New Hampshire Bar Association Real Property Section and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee.

Through his work with the New Hampshire Bar, he has helped to coordinate efforts to bring more real estate expertise to the state's pro bono program.

Weaver said he is honored to be selected for this year's class of New Hampshire Union Leader 40 Under 40 nominees. He said the list is a reminder of all the good work young people are doing in the state, and helps to retain more young adults in the state.

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